Rotary radial piston engine

ABSTRACT

A pair of radial pistons coaxially journaled within a cylindrical housing are connected to an output shaft through a series of linkages which include end drive plates connected to the output shaft. The linkages function as toggles such that as the pistons rotate they accelerate and decelerate individually thereby creating a volume between them which is constantly changing.

I United States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,746,480 Ryen 1451 July 17, 1973 1 ROTARY RADIAL PISTON ENGINE 1,233,579 7/1917 Humphreys 418/37 [76] Inventor: Ronald G. Ryen, 2910 Center, Cedar FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Falls, Iowa 50613 654,347 11/1928 France 418/37 [22] Filed: Aug. 5, 1971 Primary Examiner-Carlton R. Croyle [21] Appl' 169237 Assistant Examiner--Michae1 Koczo, Jr.

. Attorney-Zarley, McKee & Thomte [52} U.S. C1. 418/37, 123/8.47 [51] Int. Cl F0lc 1/00, F02b 53/00 57 ABSTRACT [58]. Field of Search 123/8.47; 4411851375, A p of radial pistons coaxiauy jolumaled within a y lindrical housing are connected to an output shaft through a series of linkages which include end drive [56] References Clted plates connected to the output shaft. The linkages func- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion as toggles such that as the pistons rotate they acl,308,896 7/1919 Farnham 123/8.47 l at and decelerate individually thereby creating a 114821629 2/1924 Bullingmn" 418/37 X volume between them which is constantly changing. 1,028,848 6/1912 Aabel 413/37 3,092,031 6/1963 Pomar 418/37 1 6 Claims, 8Drawing Figures ROTARY RADIAL PISTON ENGINE The rotary radial piston engine of this invention includes a pair of pistons each having oppositely extending vanes. The pistons are rotatable relative to each other on a common shaft extending through the cylindrical housing. The power from these pistons is trans mitted to the shaft which functions as an output shaft by each of the pistons being connected through a series of linkages to oppositely disposed end plates which in turn are rotatable with the output shaft. The four vanes of the pistons provide four working chambers and thus one revolution of the pistons results in four firings of the spark plug along with related exhaust, intake and compression steps. In a conventional engine the pistons move relative to the engine head while in this engine the piston vanes move relative to each other to vary the size of the work chamber. Accordingly, the piston vanes are periodically moving and four steps in the combustion cycle are being performed substantially simultaneously.

This engine having no gears, crank shaft, fly wheels, or valves is considerably simpler in construction and operation and is relatively maintenance free. Furthermore, the engine is lighter in weight and is more efficient in operation providing more horsepower per unit weight and unit of fuel consumed.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects comtemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the engine of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along 2 2 in FIG. I with the left end of the center shaft turned 90 degrees for purposes of illustration;

FIGS. 3, 5 and 7 are cross sectional views taken along line 3 3 in FIG. 2 and showing the pistons and linkages turned to successively different positions in a quarter revolution of operation; and

FIGS. 4, 6 and 8 are diagrammatical views illustrating the successive positions of operation corresponding to the cross sectional viewsof FIGS. 3, 5 and 7.

The rotary radial piston engine of this invention is referred to generally in FIG. I by the reference numeral 10 and includes a housing 12 comprised of sections 14, 16, 18, and 22. The housing 12 includes section 18 between sections l4, l6 and 20, 22 and includes a cylindrical cylinder in which a pair of pistons 24 and 26 are provided for coaxial rotation about an output shaft 28 extending through the housing 12. The pistons 24 and 26 each include segmental vanes 24, 24" and 26', 26".

A spark plug 29 is in communication with the cylindrical cylinder as are intake and exhaust ports 30 and 32, respectively. The intake port 30 is connected to a conventional carburetor not shown.

The opposite ends of the engine include correspondingly similar linkages for connecting the pistons to the output shaft 28. As viewed in FIG. I, the exploded components of the right-hand side of the engine cooperate to connect the piston vanes 24'and 24" to the output shaft 28. The enclosed linkages in the left-hand housing sections 14 and I6 cooperate to connect piston vanes 26' and 26" to the output shaft 28 and maintain the pistons in the desired positions relative to each other shown in FIGS. 3 8. Thus the details of the right-hand side of the engine for operating piston 24 will be discussed in detail.

An end plate 34 is provided on the output shaft 28 to close the right end of the cylinder. This plate turns with the piston 24 as it is bolted thereto by a pair of pins 36 and 38 extending through links 40 and 42. The links 40 and 42 are rotatable relative to the axial center extension pins 44 and 46 on pins 36 and 38. The outer ends are pivotally connected to pins 52 and 54 on ring elements 56 and 58 rotatable about an axis offset from the axis of the output shaft 28. The rings 56 and 58 are po' sitioned in bearing members 60. Each of the rings 56, 58 include outwardly extending pins 62 and 64 connected to link elements 66 and 68 at their outer ends 70 and 72. The link elements 66 and 68 are rotatable about center axial pins 74 and 76 secured to a drive plate 78 keyed to the output shaft 28 by a key 80.

Conventional gaskets 82, 84 and 86 are provided along with an end housing enclosure 90 and a bearing 92. A plurality of longitudinally extending connecting bolts 94 secure the housing sections 14, I6, 18, 20 and 22 together and to two end housing 90.

The inner ends 48, 50, 70 and 72 of the links 40, 42, 66 and 68 are free to pivot into and out of concave outwardly facing recess 96 in the output shaft 28 as seen in FIGS. '3, 5 and 7. Recesses 96 at. opposite ends of the shaft are positioned at 90 to each other.

The left end of the engine includes a conventional mechanism such as a set of points 100 and 102, point element 102 including a pin 104 extending into the path of a cam element 106 such that the points are opened and closed periodically in timed relationship for firing of the spark plug 29 four times for each revolution.

The linkage connection between the piston vanes andthe output shaft is best illustrated in the diagrammati'cal views in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8 which show this linkage for a single vane, vane 24'. Again, the linkage for the other three vanes is similar in a manner that the entire engine is totally balanced and does not require a balance wheel. Since each of the pistons 24 and 26 include integrally connected vanes only one linkage for each piston is mechanically required, however, the balancing of the engine is maintained by linkages being provided for each of the vanes. Furthermore, strain on the component parts is minimized by these additional linkages. Thus in FIG. 4 the piston vane 24" is shown connected to a first link 40 which in turn is connected to a ring 56 indicated by the dash line link having a rotational center 110 offset from the center of the output shaft 28. The linkage 66 is also connected to the ring 56 atthe axial center of pins 52 and 62 while the link 66 is pivotally or rotatably connected to the drive plate 78 indicated by the link dash lines extending to the output shaft 28 to which it is rigidly connected for imparting rotational power thereto.

It is thus seen that the adjacent piston vanes 24' and 26' are closely adjacent in FIG. 4 as are piston vanes 24" and 26", however, in the positions of FIG. 6 the vanes 24' and 26' have moved apart by vane 24' moving clockwise away from vane 26'. A similar action has occurred between vanes 24" and 26". Finally, in FIG. 8, vane 24 has moved still further away from vane 26' and now is quite close to vane 26". In FIGS. 3 and 4 vane 24' is beginning its power stroke, the spark plug 29 having just fired. Vane 24" is beginning its intake stroke. The rapid clockwise movement of vanes 24' and 24", as seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, cause the output shaft 28 to be rotated as well as exhaust fumes to be evacuated through the outlet port 32 while fresh gas is taken in to inlet port 30 due to the vacuum created between vanes 24" and 26". The gas mixture between vanes 24" and 26 is compressed, as seen in FIG. 8, and is ready for firing.

It is further understood that the linkages can be connected to the pistons indirectly to allow the sealing of the pistons in the cylinder. Piston links outside the cylinder representing the pistons would be connected to a center shaft connected to the pistons in the chambers and the linkages then would be connected to the piston links.

Thus it is seen that a simplified rotary engine has been provided having no gears and a minimum number of parts utilizing linkages for connecting the four piston vanes to an output shaft. It is understood that with minor modification the structure could be used as a pump for fluids.

I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a generally cylindrical housing provided with an inlet for a compressible combustible fluid and an outlet for said fluid angularly offset from said inlet, an output shaft extending axially through said housing, a pair of radial pistons coaxially journaled within said housing for concurrent rotation and for relative angular displacement about said output shaft, said radial pistons defining at least one working chamber within said housing successively registrable with said inlet and said outlet and including a leading piston and a trailing piston, and a linkage means on one side of said pistons for one of said pistons and a linkage means on the other side of said pistons for the other piston for connecting said pistons to said output shaft and for angularly reciprocating both of them relative to the output shaft and each other, thereby periodically enlarging and contracting said chamber, each of said linkage means for each of said pistons including a first link member rotatably operatively connected thereto radially outwardly of said output shaft axis and pivotally connected to a second link rotatable about a second axis offset from said first axis, a third link pivotally connected to said second link and rotatably connected to a fourth link rotatable about said first axis and connected to said output shaft.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said second and fourth links are further defined as being circular in shape.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein each of said pistons are further defined as including a pair of angularly spaced radial vanes forming with the vanes of the other of said pistons at least two angularly spaced generally sectorial chambers successively registrable with said inlet and said outlet.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said vanes of each of said pistons are diametrically positioned relative to each other.

5. The structure of claim 3 wherein said first and third links of each linkage means are coaxially connected to said second link respectively.

6. The structure of claim 3 wherein said output shaft includes concave outwardly portions adjacent said linkage means for receiving at times the inner ends of adjacent links. 

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a generally cylindrical housing provided with an inlet for a compressible combustible fluid and an outlet for said fluid angularly offset from said inlet, an output shaft extending axially through said housing, a pair of radial pistons coaxially journaled within said housing for concurrent rotation and for relative angular displacement about said output shaft, said radial pistons defining at least one working chamber within said housing successively registrable with said inlet and said outlet and including a leading piston and a trailing piston, and a linkage means on one side of said pistons for one of said pistons and a linkage means on the other side of said pistons for the other piston for connecting said pistons to said output shaft and for angularly reciprocating both of them relative to the output shaft and each other, thereby periodically enlarging and contracting said chamber, each of said linkage means for each of said pistons including a first link member rotatably operatively connected thereto radially outwardly of said output shaft axis and pivotally connected to a second link rotatable about a second axis offset from said first axis, a third link pivotally connected to said second link and rotatably connected to a fourth link rotatable about said first axis and connected to said output shaft.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said second and fourth links are further defined as being circular in shape.
 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein each of said pistons are further defined as including a pair of angularly spaced radial vanes forming with the vanes of the other of said pistons at least two angularly spaced generally sectorial chambers successively registrable with said inlet and said outlet.
 4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said vanes of each of said pistons are diametrically positioned relative to each other.
 5. The structure of claim 3 wherein said first and third links of each linkage means are coaxially connected to said second link respectively.
 6. The structure of claim 3 wherein said output shaft includes concave outwardly portions adjacent said linkage means for receiving at times the inner ends of adjacent links. 